System for the maritime transport of bees

Abstract

A system and method for transporting bees allows live bees, in hibernation, to be exported by sea. The system has a packaging device having a box with a funnel through which the bees fall and are collected, a transport box having a body, a cover of the same geometry and larger than the body to cover the side walls and top of the body, ventilation openings arranged in two of the side walls, and at least one floor arranged to cover a lower part of the body. The body is where bees are collected and a feeder is located at an opening of the body and contains gelled food. An interior space houses the bees and allows them to feed from the perimeter of the feeder, where the gelatinized food is located, and at least one refrigerated container where the transport boxes, previously palletized, are arranged for maritime transport.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bee transport system ( 1000 ) that allows the export of live bees in hibernation by sea comprising:
 a. a packaging device ( 10 ) comprising a brood chamber box ( 11 ), connected to a collection hopper ( 12 ) through which the bees fall into a transport box ( 20 );   b. a transport box ( 20 ) comprising a body ( 21 ), a cover ( 22 ) of the same geometry and larger than the body ( 21 ) to cover all the side walls and roof of the body ( 21 ), with two ventilation openings ( 23 ) arranged on two opposite side walls of the body ( 21 ), at least one floor ( 24 ) arranged to cover the bottom of the transport box ( 20 ), said body ( 21 ) being where the bees are collected; and   c. a refrigerated container ( 30 ) where the transport boxes ( 20 ), previously palletized, are arranged for maritime transport.   
     
     
         2 . The system ( 1000 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the transport box ( 20 ) comprises a square cross section, formed by the body ( 21 ) and the cover ( 22 ), where the body ( 21 ) comprises two ventilation openings ( 23 ), arranged opposite each other, and at the top of the body ( 21 ) there is an opening ( 25 ) for placing a feeder. 
     
     
         3 . The system ( 1000 ) of  claim 1 , wherein once at the packaging location, the body ( 21 ) of the transport boxes, with their respective covers ( 22 ), are palletized with a separation distance between the boxes ( 20 ) of 4 cm along a row of boxes and 10 cm between the rows of boxes ( 20 ) to allow air movement between them, arranged in 3 tiers of boxes with 20 boxes per tier. 
     
     
         4 . A method of transporting bees that allows the export of live bees in hibernation by sea using the system of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 a. packing the bees into the body ( 21 ) of the transport box which is placed under the packing device ( 10 ), where the bees fall by gravity through a collection hopper ( 12 );   b. placing a food dispenser in the box;   c. transporting the bodies of the transport boxes ( 21 ) to a palletizing location;   d. covering the body of the transport box ( 21 ) with the cover ( 22 );   e. palletizing the transport boxes ( 20 ), with space between the transport box packages ( 20 );   f. loading the pallets with transport boxes ( 20 ) into a refrigerated container ( 30 ) to maintain temperature and relative humidity conditions during transport;   g. transporting the transport boxes ( 20 ) from a port of origin to the port of destination; and   h. emptying the bees from the transport box bodies ( 21 ) into nucleus hives or breeding chambers so that the bees can settle into the new space.   
     
     
         5 . The method of transporting bees of  claim 4 , wherein, in the packaging stage, a food dispenser is placed in the transport box, which has a space for the food and another for the bees. 
     
     
         6 . The method of transporting bees of  claim 5 , wherein the food is a gelled food with sugar, preserving agent, antioxidant, with a pH between 4.5 and 5.5. 
     
     
         7 . The method of transporting bees of  claim 6 , wherein the food dispenser has a volume of 6 to 8 liters, to dispense 5 to 6 liters of food. 
     
     
         8 . The method of transporting bees of  claim 4 , wherein the temperature, the relative humidity, and the concentrations of O 2  and CO 2  are controlled in the refrigerated container and the speed of the wind incident on the transport boxes is fixed by means of wooden panels and deflectors. 
     
     
         9 . The method of transporting bees of  claim 8 , wherein the transport temperature in the container is set within the range of 4 to 7° C. 
     
     
         10 . The method of transporting bees of  claim 9 , wherein the relative humidity must be maintained at around 65%. 
     
     
         11 . The method of transporting bees of  claim 10 , wherein a noise inside the transport box ( 20 ) is less than 94 dB. 
     
     
         12 . The method of transporting bees of  claim 4 , wherein the transport of the transport boxes ( 20 ) from a seaport of arrival to the destination is carried out in a flatbed truck in the same refrigerated container ( 30 ) if it is autonomous or by means of a refrigerated truck if it is not. 
     
     
         13 . The method of transporting bees of  claim 4 , wherein the transport of the transport boxes ( 20 ) from a port of arrival to the destination is carried out by closed trucks, ideally refrigerated, taking care to maintain the temperature between 5 and 15° C., the relative humidity close to 65%, and CO2 and O2 concentrations at atmospheric levels. 
     
     
         14 . The method of transporting bees of  claim 4 , wherein after one or two days in the field inside breeding chambers or nucleus boxes, the feeder is removed from the hive and health checks are carried out to check the condition of the colony. 
     
     
         15 . The method of transporting bees of  claim 14 , wherein one week after unloading, the colony recovers its productive activity (queen laying and nectar accumulation). 
     
     
         16 . A transport box ( 20 ) that allows the export of live bees in hibernation, by sea comprising:
 a body ( 21 ); and   a cover ( 22 ) of the same geometry and larger than the body ( 21 ) to cover all the side walls of the body ( 21 ), with two ventilation openings ( 23 ) arranged on two opposite side walls of the body ( 21 ), at least one floor ( 24 ) arranged to cover the lower part of the transport box ( 20 ),   the body ( 21 ) being where the bees are collected.   
     
     
         17 . The transport box ( 20 ) of  claim 16  comprising a square cross section formed by the body ( 21 ) and the cover ( 22 ), wherein the body ( 21 ) comprises at least two ventilation openings ( 23 ), preferably arranged opposite each other, and the floor ( 24 ), and at the top of the body ( 21 ) there is an opening ( 25 ) for placing a feeder.